Hay Burr Christmas in July

Hmm, if I do end up pulling off another Halloween Candy in July, we'll have not used the standard banner all summer. Somehow, my wish of getting more use out of the alternatives has backfired.

But enough about that; we need to talk about horses! Jolly festive horses!

Now, much like Halfway to Halloween, I'm not sold on the whole Christmas in July thing. Granted, summer can be rather annoying, and an escape to the better weather of Fall is welcomed. But I do prefer to organically transition into each season with grace and dignity—or at least in an environment where it feels natural.

The twinkling of lights and ballads of joy feel a little off when mosquitos are buzzing in your ears and heat stroke cometh. It must be what it's like trying to force holiday festivities in a southern climate where the weather seldom drops below zero (you choose which scale). I would feel some empathy for those in that situation, but they made their choice—and that choice was wrong.

But let's not dwell on that, since this is a charitable event after all. The establishment in question is Hay Burr Inn—a retirement home of sorts for horses, donkeys, and even a black cat if your nighttime vision is sharp enough. Pro tip: look for the yellow eyes.

With many animals often outliving their apparent usefulness either for sport or for work, keeping them fed and cared for is often prohibitive for the original owners. That's where the Inn steps in, taking on the task both laboriously and financially.

And it’s also where you step in so things can continue. Driven mainly by donations, the continued care relies heavily on special events. In truth, there is a proper Christmas weekend, and the summer edition is an excuse to reuse the décor much in the same way I reuse the banners (except I drone on about it for far too long). Halloween is the other big special, and I’ve posted about that in the Halloween section before, so give that a read… after you finish this one, of course.

(Note to self, actually write something on that page before too long.)

There is one benefit of a summer showing, however. You see, two minor miracles happened over the weekend. Firstly, we managed to get out the door and arrive during twilight hours rather than 30 seconds before closing. This provided the unique opportunity to see the animals while they were still relatively awake. Often they wander over to a corner and fall asleep while standing up—the only sign that they’re drifting off being the lower lip, which begins to wobble.

The second miracle is that it wasn’t raining this time. I believe all but one other time did it not downpour and turn the ground into a slalom of mud. That usually made parking a challenge, but the lights trail is the main draw. After seeing the animals and picking up a commemorative t-shirt, there’s a lengthy walk to be had, which is decorated with the theme of the moment.

It certainly must take some time to set it all up, even if there was the all-too-common 4th of July or Halloween holdover still in the midst. It doesn’t matter, though, since the forests of Connecticut have their own charm, just as long as the rain doesn’t hamper the walk.

I ended up getting yet another fairy-light wine bottle to add to the collection. There are TONS of them in my house now, so when the power cuts out, as it does with great frequency, I can spend an hour or two going around and turning them all on. I’m the envy of the neighborhood when I do. Who needs an expensive generator? Not I.